There is no doubt that in just a few short years, the auto industry has made remarkable advances in areas like connectivity, autonomous driving, robotics, and electric vehicles. For such large, traditional companies to embrace

In previous posts, we’ve covered some of the challenges that automotive is facing. These included; changing consumer expectations, the need for better data to improve operational efficiencies and to enhance the consumer experience, as well as changes regarding the connected car/mobility paradigm shift.

Dealer Systems Integration (DSI) sounds like an IT thing – not something OEM sales and marketing execs should be spending their time on. Nothing could be further from the truth. Automotive sales and marketing execs must understand that, in the digital world we now inhabit, DSI is key to driving sales. As consumers move more and more of their brand interaction online, the need for tight, real-time coordination between dealer and OEM is quickly becoming competitive necessity. Real-time coordination with dealers is achieved through Dealer Systems Integration.

A story in this week’s Automotive News (“This tile, that gray: Chevy's store plan by the book") shows how much focus automakers direct toward the physical design of their dealerships and the attention to detail necessary to create an environment that reinforces desired brand impressions and customer experiences. The design of the store is critically important, but is only one factor influencing customer experience. Customer experience is also shaped by the efficiency of their interactions with the dealer, and by extension, the automaker. Since dealer operations in sales, service and parts today are largely driven by the dealer’s computer systems, the ability of those systems to seamlessly integrate with the automaker’s systems is now an extremely important contributor to customer experience.